Sanctuary
by NatureKidMusician132
Summary: Seventeen old Kaian lives with her mother, her Uncle Xigbar, and her distant brother in their dynamic village. In her path towards adulthood, Kaian struggles to become accepted as a true dynamic while caring for her sick mother. Xigbar was pulled from his Special Ops team when his sister fell ill. As the last male in the family, Xigbar attempts to hold the family together.
1. Chapter 1

Sanctuary

Ch1.

In the early hours of dawn, the moon rests in the West while the sun rises slowly to start a new day. Most people, if they wake early, can see the pigments of the clouds change as the moon and sun greet each other and bid farewell for another day. They watch the colors fade from dark navy, skylight blackness, to warm orange, reds, and soft lights that fade into the morning's rays.

The early morning not only brings light, but shows the beauty of what the night has left behind for morning to see. The forests stand still as crisp cool air caress all in its path. The soft earth where acres of green lands glisten with fresh dew, feel the presence of mornings kiss. Trees from Oak to Elwood, ground themselves for those who need them, all while basking in the early rays. Birds awaken from slumber and sing their songs for all to hear, while animals that live on the earth walk another day.

The town of Midgrid is home to hundreds of acres protected under Nature Reservations. It is also located near the main rivers that flow towards Trost City and out to the oceans of the Atlantic. Midgrid is where many travelers from near and far visit as they make their way towards the city. With a travel time distance of an hour from the towns, tourists are surprised how both locations can be so different from each other.

Midgrid resides farther away from the main interstates, but interferes with a straight path towards Trost City. Regardless, hundreds of people visit the quiet town of Midgrid and began to fall in love with its natural parks. The town provides small shops, an inn, schools, rivers that connect to the Atlantic, and a view of the Appalachian Mountains. While there have been some new developments leading towards the forests, most people reside in the town. Even with the limit capacity of the visitations, locals are not bothered by questions from the occasional hiker about the possibility of living farther out.

In Midgrid, in the center of town near the main square, stands a building built of strong bricks. It stands over three stories high, the highest a building can reside here except for the bell tower, with warm, reddish-browns highlights caked over the stones. Inside a middle-aged man in his late fifties, arranges his lounge and chairs for guest to sit in. The stair case aligned beside the wall to the left upon walking in, is dusted and cleaned from the day before. The colors of warmth and calmness match the overall tone of the village with greens, browns, and blues. The desk to check in customers stands to the center, with a black rotary phone resting on it.

The man, named Daniel, has been the innkeeper for over twenty years. His middle-aged body shows the long-built muscles and wrinkles, with leftover calluses from manual labor. His thinning hair shows strands of grey upon his white skin, but regardless, Daniel does not slow down his work. Upon checking the morning mail and managing the books, the day progresses into the afternoon, where a family had taken their stay three days prior.

"Good Afternoon!" Daniel greeted the guests, "Did you have a wonderful time?"

"We absolutely did!" Answered the mother, "The Nature Preserves are so beautiful, we were sad we couldn't spend the rest of the afternoon up there! The children loved running on the trails and seeing waterfalls, rivers, and the outline of the mountains!" Her husband nodded in agreement while escorting tired children to their room. "We leave in a few hours, but next time we want to try to get farther than we were today! The people here are so kind!"

Daniel chuckled as he nodded his head in agreement while passing the check-out paperwork. "We try to be! We don't mind travelers, because it helps bring in revenue and donations to keep the Preserve thriving. "

The woman laughed and went on her way once finishing up the paperwork. As she ascends to the rooms, the front doors burst open, causing the woman and Daniel to look up. A young man no later than early twenties, stood wobbling on his feet. Gashes on his sides were shown, with his clothes torn, and bruises appearing on visible skin. As the man entered in slow steps, Daniel rushed forth to grab him.

"Sir, what happened? Are you alright?" The man moved his head weakly and Daniel shouting for his wife, "Laura! Call the ambulance!"

The woman from earlier ran down the stairs, and the innkeeper place the man in one of the chairs.

"I was hiking out on mountain grounds, and I tripped over one of the rocks in the path. Next thing I know, I fell over the side of Gorgers Cross and fell down the slopes." The man winced and clutched his head.

"That's awful!" The woman whispered. Laura approached after calling for an ambulance. Laura grabbed an ice pack for the man and gave it to him.

"What worse was I couldn't stop falling further down, I tried to grab anything. Next thing I knew I collided with a tree, I must've hit my head, its hurts badly."

"I've called an Ambulance, just hold on a litter longer." Laura softly replied, as Daniel helped the man sit up better on the chair. "Anything else you can remember?"

"I blacked out" the man stated, blinking a couple of times to see the trio of people in front of him. "Next thing I remember, I woke up at the outskirts of town miles from the preserve, and tried to get help." That's all the man said before clutching his head and slouching back into the chair.

Daniel sighed and rubbed his neck, looking at his wife of fifteen years, her smooth black skin with few wrinkles reached for his face as her nimble fingers caressed his jaw line. Daniel leaned into the touch and stood up. The woman looked between the injured man and the Innkeeper. "What can we do now?"

"All that matters now is to get this man to the hospital in Midgrid." Daniel replied and helped his wife gather the man in his arms. "Dr. Vexen, our town head doctor, can take a look at him once safely there."

"Come on, lad." Laura told the man, helping her husband out the door and onto the waiting doors of the ambulance who had just arrived. The man obeyed and just as all three walked out on the steps and into the van, he paused. "Wait!"

The couple looked at him as the man tried to turn his head. Looking at Daniel, the man uttered out a few words. "There was a girl."

"What?" Laura questioned.

"A young girl," the man answered, "No more than seventeen, she was there! I saw an outline of her when I crashed." The man looked down at the ground as he was ushered in the van. "All I could see were blurred figures, then…blackness. Ugh, my head."

The man was finally placed into the vehicle and rushed towards the hospital, the couple walked back inside as the tourist watched by the door.

"Maybe it was his sheer luck that got him to town?" the woman guest suggested, heading back up the stairs to her waiting family, "A park ranger or a group found him mostly likely…" she trailed off as she left, but neither Daniel nor Laura said a word.

A few hours went by and the family left, giving the couple a few moments of peace and quiet before more of their guests arrived for the dinner. Daniel sighed as he lounged into the chair behind the desk, Laura looking on with a sense of knowing. "That's the third one in the past six months." Daniel said. "I'll have to phone him again."

Laura said nothing and walked over to her husband, she picked up the phone and handed the black object to Daniel. "It's not their fault if hikers go off the trails; Gorgers Path is strictly off limits."

"I know, dear." Daniel replied as he turned the rotary to the correct positions of the numbers. "I know."


	2. Chapter 2

Sanctuary

Ch.2

Not far off from the inn, a young woman observed in a small, secluded ally as her skin tanned from long exposures to sunlight. Her natural wavy, blonde hair fell to her shoulders, but was pulled into a high pony-tail with few stands framing her face. Soft, grey-bluish eyes watched from her hiding spot in the shadows of the buildings as the inn keeper and his wife made their way inside. Normally she wouldn't appear in town dressed in her village robes, but today was an exception. Once the area was clear and the town began to quiet for the afternoon, the young woman quietly snuck out of town, her garments swaying in the wind.

Once out of the town's borders and into the safety of the trails, the young woman began to relax. As she breathed deeply into the cool mists and scents of earth, the young woman recalled the events from earlier. It was a normal day when she found the hiker, who wanted to explore outside of the trails. Luckily for him, the woman was already on her way back from Trost by the river. Normally her brother would have left those wandering lost in the forest, but the young woman couldn't have blood on her hands. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings of the forest, and simply stood in comfort of being home.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her from behind, and she was met with piercing black eyes and a burly man towering over her. Most people would have been terrified at the encounter, but the woman recognized the black dreads and sides burn on the white man's face.

"Kaian Braun!" The man growled, as he clutched her forearm, "Where have you been! I've been out looking for you!"

Kaian winced at the touch and looked at him, "Xaldin, I'm sorry! There was this man-"

"Don't tell me another hiker fell," Xaldin interrupted and began to soft his grip. "You're lucky the damn pyro and I noticed your little stunt, otherwise I would have left you out here for humans to snatch you!"

"Uncle Xaldin, that wasn't the case!" Kaian tried to explain as she pulled her arm out of the grip. With pleading eyes, she continued, "The man slipped on the slopes on one of the rock trails and fell near Gorger's Path. " Kaian looked down at the ground and muttered softly, "He would've bled out if I wasn't nearby."

"He might as well be dead given the state of that head injury" said another voice as a tall, white skin redhead appeared towards the two. "You've just wasted an afternoon rescuing a lost soul."

Xaldin and Kaian glared at the newcomer "Always putting your two cents in Axel." Xaldin grumbled and with a second pause, grabbed Kaian's arm and lead them both towards the village. "Both of you are lucky I don't rip your heads open."

"Lay off, Xaldin," Axel scoffed walking behind the trio. The redhead narrowed his eyes as a grin slowly appeared on his face. "Even if you did, that would be a risky move, as two of us are so valuable in the village."

"Two of us, Kaian and I. "Xaldin finished, shooting over a dark grin, "You just happened to stumble upon us and we took your sorry ass in." Axel gave the other man a dark look and slinked further back. Kaian rolled her eyes and reached with her other hand to grab the redhead. Axel took hold of the offer and soon the trio walked together in a line.

Kaian looked at the dark haired man's back, "That's not true Xaldin; everyone has a place within our village, whether we were born, or found our way in. What matters is how we function as family, no one is left behind" The other man tossed his head back as Kaian talked, but his features soften over her last words.

"You are your mother's daughter, speaking in words like she does." Xaldin said. Kaian blushed lightly at the comment and laughed. "My mom does know what she is talking about! After all, she tells me what life was like living with humans!"

Axel at this point picked up the pace and was soon walking alongside the group with the eldest man leading them. "I thought your mother grew up here?"

"Evangeline was born into a small pack that was pushed out of their home due to developments." Xaldin explained "Luckily her family settled in a small town near the South and grew up as a human."

"But kept her dynamic roots." Kaian added, the village entrance appeared not too far off. "Mom wanted to take us and visit her town one day, and to see where she lived." Her eyes looked ahead as her gaze fell somber. "Now we're not so sure if we can." She slowed down her pace causing both men to look behind them. Axel, being one of the recent members at first didn't understand until the elder man walked back. Xaldin placed an arm around the youngest member and gave her a soft smile as she looked up. Xaldin squeezed her side and walked alongside her towards the approaching entrance.

"Your mother is a strong woman." He said, as he motions Axel to walk ahead, "Cancer is a hard illness to fight once, the remission only shows you just how strong your mother is."

"I know, but…" Kaian trailed off and reached into her brown bag, revealing a small bag of dark green. "Dr. Vexen allowed me to have a written letter to get this," she lowered the contents into her bag. "The pharmacy said that it will help ease her pain from the treatments…this time around."

"That stuff will help," Xaldin agreed. Soon the trio reached the entrance and once checking in with the guards, entered the village Oblivion.

The Village of Oblivion is a secluded section located on private government property of the Preserve. Humans are not allowed to venture and the road leading up the village is not shown on maps. Only certain exceptions are allowed access to visit the village by car. All other routes are made by river, where dozens of boats rest alongside.

The village is like Midgrid; the only difference is that houses are built by hand, and the only landlines used are found in the council's huts. The mountains, now in closer view than in Midgrid, ground themselves in gander. Young pups are in awe every morning as the sun reaches the mountains. Oblivion is tucked by the river, with the mountains providing protection far off from wandering drones, planes, and any passerby that try to sneak in. While there is protection in keeping strangers out, it is not frowned upon for the villagers to venture towards human society. People like Dr. Vexen, have taken work in the larger towns, and their new knowledge has helped their own village adopt new ways without destroying tradition.

Kaian watched as Axel rushed off his farewells and venture to find his own friends, whereas Xaldin leads her towards the centre square. The square is mostly a common area, like Midgrid, but most of the gatherings happen. The Elder's council resides nearby the square for better access to the people. The square provides places for festivals, meetings, and a map for members to walk towards others' homes that borders of village.

Soon enough, they passed by the square and up towards one of the largest huts, the council. Inside, Xaldin led Kaian in, and together they were greeted by the Elders of the village.

The elders are the older generations of men and women who have led the village in their own times. These positions are high and powerful and help the head alpha on their leadership on the Village. This is where she came upon her guardian, the council, and head alpha.

"Thank you, Xaldin," the head alpha, a man named Xemnas spoke gently, with his lead omega right beside him, "I see that young Kai has been brought safely home."

"Another hiker tried to find our route to our village, Superior," Xaldin explained nudging Kaian in front of him. "This one found him and brought him down the slopes, but a search was made because she left the village without notifying anyone." Kaian just nodded in agreement and looked down, flinching at the truth while her guardian walked up in front of her. The man, scarred on his face and glaring yellow eye, looked at her in distaste before ruffling her hair with his scarred arms.

"What can I say Dilan!" The man with black hair and grey strands on his head laughed. The man gestured towards the other with his former name, "She's just like her mother, stubborn yet always wanting to help people."

"Xigbar, or should I say Braig, you of all people shouldn't take this lightly." replied Saix , the lead omega in the village and the mate of the head alpha, "As a guardian you need-"

"With all due respect here, Moonbutt," Xigbar interrupted, "nothing was done wrong, no one got hurt, the village is still safe, and!" He turned towards the higher ups, "We rescued a human, so in turn that should actually strengthen bonds with Midgrid."

Saix growled at the disrespect from the lesser status and began to step forward to show the man who he was dealing with, but Xemnas touched his mate in reassurance. Saix's blue hair tampered down and his x-shaped scar on his face began to relax while one of the elders bean to speak. "Xigbar is right, the village is safe and the human has been brought safely back; however, there are concerns with you Kaian." The woman in questioned looked up at the mention of her name, "You are legible to partake in the reaching of age ritual, but your dynamic instincts are lacking."

"The council believes that while your actions have been heroic," Xemnas continued, "you are still at risk of sudden transformation. In a normal setting such as ours, dynamics shift and change at an early age, gaining heighten sense, speed, recovery, and strength. This allows dynamics to train and have control over them by the time the coming of age ritual comes." He walked closer to the young girl and Xigbar and Xaldin attempted to shield her, but were dismissed in doing so by the head alpha. Kaian stood frozen still, unsure of what would happen.

Xemnas's tanned hands reached out and caressed Kaian's face before lowering down. With a stoic expression, he stated, "However, soon you will be an adult during the ritual despite that none of your instincts are at the level they need to be at for a young dynamic." He looked sharply at her uncle who glared in return. "Surprising how the young child of Evangeline has shown promise in our pack, yet her brother has regressed."

"Don't bring Gabriel into this," Xigbar said, "the boy will present!"

"Late bloomers have been known to happen," one elder spoke, her wrinkled hands gestured outwards. "But there are concerns when a man reaches twenty-two and has not yet even presented a dynamic status."

"We are still researching if there are any unknown illnesses within the family, Xigbar." Xemnas added "Hopefully we will be proven wrong."

Kaian hasn't spoken out of turn in the hut, but given the mention of her family, Kaian couldn't stay quiet for long. "With all due respect Sir," Xemnas nodded at her to continue, "My brother hasn't been well, given of the state of my mother." She back and submitted to show her respect towards the head alpha.

Xemnas gently smiled "My dear, most of our members have cross paths with violence, and yet all have overcame the battles, ones struggling to burst from within themselves. Gabriel has yet to open his inner self and come to grips with the circumstances."

"That may be the case, but also note that Evangeline, their mother, has fallen ill near death's door." Xigbar growled and placed himself in front of Kaian as a shield. "My sister's health isn't well." He glared at his alpha, "That itself will suppress anything."

As soon as Xigbar placed himself in front of his head alpha's space, his mate, Saix, quickly rushed upon and growled. Both men stared down each other but Xigbar, as a man of little stance, backed down in submission to the lead omega. "Stand down, Alpha." Saix demanded. "You know better to speak to your superior than that." Xaldin quickly grabbed the scarred man and pulled him back before the blue haired man could snap.

"Thank you, Superior," Xaldin said, nudging Xigbar to say the same. Kaian repeated the line and bowed. Xemnas nodded his head as a sign of dismal and the trio bid their farewells. Once out of sight, Saix looked at his mate. "The rituals of adulthood are upon us." The elders nodded in agreement and one with a soft tone replied. "There we will see if our theories are proven correct." Xemnas only nodded and guided his mate out of the council hut. With his own bows, deeper in order to show respect to the highest group he said, "No dynamic can resist the rituals, we will watch and observe. In the lightest sense we will keep our pups within the village."


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

Kaian walked alongside her uncle and Xaldin once they left the council's meeting and began to walk towards home. Xigbar, or his original name Braig, lived a few miles out near one of the cliffs, overviewing the waters and the distant mountains. Kaian followed her uncle behind him and tried to shake off the feelings that vestured in the meeting.

The past five years have been hard on the Braun family. For most of her life, Kaian never knew her real father, only of stories of how a great man he was before his death. Since his death, her mother, Evangeline, took her children to live in Oblivion where her only brother, Braig resided. Evangeline lived with her brother while working to support herself and her children. Most of the village knew about Evangeline and never questioned how different her children looked from her. Both of the Braun siblings have taken their late father's blonde hair but resembled Evangeline. Her dark haired complexions and eyes were the only things missing from their small family.

Despite being a single mother, Evangeline was never cruel. With the help of her brother Braig, she was able to provide her children a good life in the dynamic village. Braig, or Uncle Xigbar as the military special ops has given him, became the father figure Kaian and Gabriel didn't have.

Kaian smiled as she remembered her younger days before her mother fell ill. Noticing his niece was trailing behind, Xigbar turned around as he noticed Kaian was being too quiet. Xaldin scoffed and pushed the scarred man's shoulder a bit as to not disturb the child's thoughts.

"Knock it off, Grandpa," Xaldin muttered, "She's not going to fly away from you." Xigbar glared at the insult but quickly laughed it off.

"Oh ha, ha, Dreadlocks, and you know it's a hereditary gene." Xigbar laughed motioning to his natural grey stripes on his hair, but dropped his smile looking up at his long time friend, "I'm worried about the kid. It's not easy for her right now." Xaldin nodded in agreement as both men with Evangeline have discussed the actions leading up to her death. "I know, and having the ritual only a few months away only adds more stress, but Evangeline would not allow her to miss it."

"I can hear you two, you do realize that?" Kaian interrupted both men and Xigbar could only chuckle in response. He grabbed his niece and pulled her closer to him.

"Sweetheart, all we're talking about is how Xaldin's an old, single fart."

"Really?" Xaldin replied, "This coming from the guy who's what? Almost 50?"

"I'm THIRTY-THREE, Asshole! We're the same age!"

"Couldn't tell from here...Grandpa." Xaldin grinned like a chestire cat as Xigbar flipped him the finger. Kaian only laughed at the common spat between the old friends. 

"Xaldin, be careful now, others might think you're mated to my uncle." Both Xigbar and Xaldin groaned and made hacking sounds over the suggestion.

Xaldin spoke while the other kept being dramatic causing Kaian to laugh more. "Kid, Hell would have to freeze over not once, but TWICE and have to take me before I would ever think about that idea."

"As if, I'm not that desperate to get hitched!" Xigbar added, now shooting his infamous cocky grin, "Besides, no one wants to deal with all these scares and battle wounds, along with my cocky self!" He gestured to himself indicating the several scared obtain from military years, along with his missing eye.

Kaian rolled her eyes and looked at the man who raised her. "Uncle Braig, that's not true. I love you and like your scars!" She traced one of them from an exposed section of skin on his arm. "You just haven't met the right person yet…and when you do," She looked into the yellow iris that stared at her, "they will feel the same way."

Xigbar gave Kaian one of his genuine smiles and squeezed her in a side hug. Soon Xaldin spilt away from the group towards his own quarters and the remaining duo reached upon their home. It was a simple two-story house built from hands that took many months to build, yet it was worth the wait. Kaian rushed inside past the small, blue truck that Xigbar drives where her mother was resting from her morning treatments. Xigbar could hear his niece call out cheerfully and a tired older woman's voice reply gladly. He rolled his shoulders to loosen the stiff muscles as he went to sit on the bench placed next to the door and looked out towards the river. In his own thoughts, he recalls a familiar conversation that Xemnas had with him and Evangeline regarding on Kaian and Gabriel.

Out of the two siblings, Kaian was the only one to really listen to him and has grown into a young independent woman, which was an improvement growing up. As a young pup, she wasn't an extroverted child opting to watch afar and notate the world around her, than try to experiment first. She spent her life following in her mother's footsteps as caregiver in the nursery. Once she was allowed to venture alone, Kaian began to work around the village without her mother, and soon her family began to hear the success of Kaian's work. Her hardworking drive allowed her to understand the values of dynamic life and remain in touch with herself and other dynamics, despite her brother's violent nature. While she can hold a fight against her own, Kaian would always find a way to dispute any sense of trouble before it started. While she was good with helping the village and working with her hands, she never lost her backbone and tough skin. Living with her uncle taught her to stand in your own beliefs and not back down from any threat, even towards her own family.

Gabriel on the other hand was a different story. As the older brother of the Braun family, Gabriel was only a tyke when Evangeline left the city of humans to reside in the village again. Growing up without his father, Gabriel did not feel the dynamic roots in his blood as normal dynamics would with a bonded family. This caused him to feel out casted at a young age from the older members. As a sense to prove that he belonged, Gabriel began to fight fire with his own. He became outgoing, loud, always placing his opinion first as to prove that he was smarter, and if anyone was against him, Gabriel attacked them in active dynamic fights. Gabriel mastered and accomplished everything that there was to dynamic life, even gaining the affection of the village, to the displeasure of Xigbar who saw the changes of a sweet little boy into a monster. Because of his gaining popularity, Gabriel soon felt that he could challenge his uncle into claiming the alpha status of their family, only to result in a near death experience for the young lad. Evangeline and Xigbar could only watched in sadness as the young lad turned into a parasitic monster. If the older male was not around to control Gabriel, the lad turned his attention on his younger sister, who was physically weaker than he was.

Xigbar sighed and closed his eye. The sounds of the forest calmed his senses and he breathed slowly to the slow currents of the river. As he sat there, he remembered a moment when he had a conversation with a young twelve year old Kaian after an afternoon of getting attacked by Gabriel and his friends.

" _Kid, you got to stop this." Xigbar said resting against the wall while Evangeline cleaned her wounds with her, "Crying about it isn't going to help you."_

" _Braig!" Evangeline snapped at her younger brother, dabbing a gaze on an open wound, "Leave her alone! Gabriel should've have known better!"_

" _Gabriel's a little shit that'll get what's coming to him, I'll give you that but." Xigbar looked at his niece whose tears were drying along with her wounds, "Kiddo has to show them that's she is better than them! Her mother can't help her every time!"_

" _It wasn't my fault, Uncle!" Kaian whimpered, "They're bigger than I am and I couldn't fight them all!"_

" _Doesn't matter, so what If you lose, you've always try to prove how strong you are and not just with brute strength!" Xigbar walked over to Kaian and placed his hands on her shoulders, pausing Evangeline's care. "Kid, fights are going to happen, but being scared and crying about them allows Gabriel to win, hands down." Kaian tried to argue but Evangeline stepped in to wrap her last cut._

" _He's right Kai," Her mother agreed setting down her tools as she tied the last bandage. "You have something that Gabriel can never get, and he's angry at the fact."_

 _Kaian looked at her mother and uncle with a questioning look, "How?" She gestured towards herself, "What do I have that he doesn't, Mom? He's big, I'm little, he can run, jump, scout, howl, and is the best out of everything he does, and I'm only second rate towards him. He shouldn't even be afraid of me!"_

" _But he is kid," Xigbar stated "I used to see this growing up, you see, while your brother may be the best of everything, he doesn't have the ability to connect to people like you do. You like to help people, and in return you learn something about yourself right?" Kaian nodded as her uncle continued, "Gabriel only helps people just to get the award at the end, not to understand the process in order to achieve it, you do." He looked at Kaian in the eye and gave her a soft smile._

" _Kai, people talk about you and your achievements and you're humble about them. THAT'S what makes Gabriel insecure, he can't accomplish something on his own without having some sort of award at the end, he's dependant on what's given, not what is there to learn." He pulled back and walked towards the door. Xigbar almost left when his hand caught the frame of the door, swiveling his head over his shoulder. Grinning madly, Xigbar added one last thing to his niece. "You DON'T have to prove to anyone that you're strong, because you've already done so."_

A scent of a honey and sweet dimmed flowers snapped him back to reality and quickly turned with his gun that he strapped on earlier towards to the opening door. Evangeline stood there, her black hair flowing past her shoulders as her hands held up in surrender.

"It's just me, little brother," Evangeline softly spoke, as he lowered his gun at her, "I saw Kai, she gave me the supplements from Midgrids healer." Xigbar gruffed and looked back out at the river while his sister took her seat next to him. Evangeline wrapped her thin arm around his and leaned against the smell of aftershave of wood and mirth.

The siblings didn't speak for a moment, enjoying the company of the forests and themselves. Evangeline spoke first.

"Kai told me about the age ritual," She chuckled softly at the memory, "I've forgotten about it honestly."

"No one expected you to remember, Sis," Xigbar glanced down and planted a kiss on her head, "You've got other things to worry about, like how to not sneak up on people."

Evangeline laughed and watched as the river otters placed themselves alongside the shoreline below the cliffs, "At least I have my strength to walk still, I can sneak up on you whenever I like."

"Yeah, but Kai's gotten better at it, sooner or later one of you is going to have their eye taken out by a bullet, then we'll see whose laughing." Evangeline laughed a little louder and tighten her grip. Her dull dark eyes from age crinkled the few wrinkles that caress her flawless white skin. In her former glory, her black hair glistened in the sun, and her skin tanned beautifully from hours in the heat, not the pasty white color that coated her now.

"You wouldn't, our scents would give us away before you could see us." She gazed up at her brother, "After all, you love your niece too much to let that happen."

"I dunno, she keeps saving humans, she might face my wrath." Xigbar joked and gestured his head back at the door, "Your daughter takes after you, Gene. She saved a human who fell off the path, would've bled out if she wasn't there."

"I know, she told me." Evangeline smiled, "I think we raised her well, tried too at least."

"The damn kid will be the death of me, Gene, but I don't regret it." Xigbar noticed a familiar scent and felt the young blonde trying to appear quietly behind the door, "Kid don't even try; I've smelt your smelly butt before you walked downstairs." Xigbar called out facing his head to the door.

Kaian laughed as she rolled her eyes and walked outside to meet her uncle and mother, "Dang it! How can I practice my skills with you here, Uncle?"

"Simple, sweetheart," Evangeline replied nudging her brother, "You do it when he wakes up, it always scared him when we were kids."

Xigbar glared at his sister while the women laughed and soon the three of them sat outside on the bench watching the sun descend down the mountains and the moon to greet them once again.


End file.
